The present application relates to a sterile bandage and more particularly to a sterile bandage which has special utility as a surgical dressing and a sealant. The chemical composition and physical characteristics are of principle importance with respect to this novel bandage.
Attempts have been made to develop bandages which are self-adhesive, absorbent and sterile. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,564, discloses a self-adhesive bandage which is adapted to adhere to a moist surface such as the moist mucosa of the oral cavity. However, one of the essential materials of this self-adhesive bandage is an adhesive gum, preferably polyisobutylene, which is hydrophobic. Similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,598,122 and 3,598,123, disclose bandages which contain drugs that are continually released from an adhesive layer. These bandages are formed of layered materials which have encapsulated drugs in the adhesive layer. Even though the bandage disclosed in these prior art patents are said to be self-adhesive and are satisfactory vehicles for drugs, it is not believed that these bandages could effectively function as surgical dressings inasmuch as they are not sterile. In this regard, it is pointed out that surgical dressings should not only be capable of adsorbing liquids, but it is an essential requirement that the surgical dressing be sterile. The only practical sterilization technique is by irradiation and it is not believed that the prior art bandages can be irradiated without affecting the adhesive characteristics thereof.